Well, sir, said I,
since it seems your greatness wants to be justified by my lowness, and I
have no desire you should suffer in the sight of your family, I will say,
on my bended knees, (and so I kneeled down,) that I have been a very
faulty, and a very ungrateful creature to the best of masters: I have
been very perverse and saucy; and have deserved nothing at your hands but
to be turned out of your family with shame and disgrace. I, therefore,
have nothing to say for myself, but that I am not worthy to stay, and so
cannot wish to stay, and will not stay: And so God Almighty bless you,
and you Mr. Longman, and good Mrs. Jervis, and every living soul of the
family! and I will pray for you as long as I live!--And so I rose up, and
was forced to lean upon my master's elbow-chair, or I should have sunk
down.
The poor old man wept more than I, and said, Ads-bobbers, was ever the
like heard! 'Tis too much, too much; I can't bear it. As I hope to
live, I am quite melted. Dear sir, forgive her! The poor thing prays
for you; she prays for us all! She owns her fault; yet won't be
forgiven! I profess I know not what to make of it.
My master himself, hardened wretch as he was, seemed a little moved, and
took his handkerchief out of his pocket, and walked to the window: What
sort of a day is it? said he.
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